PeopleSoft to Support Linux with EnterpriseOne

by Alex Woodie

PeopleSoft announced plans last week to support the Linux operating system with its EnterpriseOne ERP suite. When EnterpriseOne version 8.1 ships during the second quarter, several modules of the former J.D. Edwards suite, such as supply chain management and financial management, will run on Intel X86-based servers using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 operating system and work with Linux-enabled versions of IBM's Web application server and database software.

This isn't the first time that PeopleSoft has made a commitment to Linux. Last spring, the Pleasanton, California, software company announced an alliance with IBM to support WebSphere Application Server, DB2, and the xSeries as its Linux environment of choice for its PeopleSoft Enterprise ERP suite (formerly known as PeopleSoft 8), which at that time was its only ERP line. Today, the company has 170 Linux-enabled Enterprise applications.

JDE made a similar commitment with Big Blue in June, 2002, to support its OneWorld ERP software (now known as EnterpriseOne after the PeopleSoft acquisition) on the IBM stack. Unlike PeopleSoft, Oracle, and other enterprise software makers, JDE chose to lead with SuSE Linux (since acquired by Novell), instead of Red Hat Linux. With its acquisition of JDE last year, it was only a matter of time before PeopleSoft aligned JDE's Linux strategy with its own.

PeopleSoft cites Linux as being stable and secure, and says customers will benefit by the greater number of platform deployment options and by the reduced costs of Lintel iron, particularly compared to RISC/Unix. EnterpriseOne currently supports Unix, Windows, and OS/400 operating systems. When EnterpriseOne version 8.1 ships, the software will gain the capability to run on Intel X86-based servers running Red Hat Enterprise Linux. A PeopleSoft spokesman said that while the company won't support IBM's Power architecture right off the bat, it is listening to customer requirements in this regard. In terms of database support, EnterpriseOne will support DB2 UDB; support for the Linux version of Oracle's database will be delivered later this year, the spokesman said. PeopleSoft has not announced any intentions to support other Linux distributions, such as Novell's SuSE Linux distribution.

PeopleSoft, the second largest enterprise software provider behind SAP, is positioning itself on the fastest growing operating system. The company cited several Linux statistics, including a META Group prediction that Linux will grow its current enterprise server market share from less than 10 percent to approximately 30 percent by 2007. The company also trotted out an IDC projection that Linux server shipments will have a compounded annual growth rate of more than 28 percent through 2007. PeopleSoft also cited a SG Cowen survey of more than 500 IT users in North America December 2003 that found Linux was in use at nearly 80 percent of the users' sites, with 72 percent of the Linux installations on servers, and 15 percent on desktops.

The following PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne version 8.1 application will support Red Hat Linux: Human Capital Management; Supply Chain Management; Supplier Relationship Management; Financial Management; Asset Lifecycle Management; and Project Management.